Custom Manure Applicators Take Added Precautions to Avoid Spreading PED

The manager of Steinbach based Precision Pumping says custom manure applicators are taking added precautions to avoid the risk of spreading PED.

As a result of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea pork producers and their service providers have stepped up their focus on biosecurity.

Doug Redekop, the president and general manager of Precision Pumping a producer owned custom manure application service, says the cooperative has taken a number of steps to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

Doug Redekop-Precision Pumping:
Number one, we've had to give a lot more thought to the farms that we're going to day to day.

Our focus has always been on trying to start at the top of a health pyramid, i.e. either the nucleus or sow barn and then trying to work our way down within the pyramid so that there are at least some assurances that the health statuses are constant within that pyramid so we stay in good communication with our customer and also our nutrient planner so that we're kept up to speed with what's going on in the area as far as health status and so on and so forth and all of those factors play a role.
That's number one.

Number two we invested monies into a wash trailer specifically for our wash equipment and holding water, also work closely with the farm to identify critical areas to stay away from, i.e. the roadways in close proximity to the barn offices and feed bins.

So we've been asking for separate driveway access to the lagoons so that we can keep as far away as possible from the normal day to day activities of the farm and also washing and disinfecting a lot more frequently than we were prior to this breakout.

Redekop notes, so far, only two cases have been identified on farm in Manitoba and his fear is that as time passes with no new cases that complacency could set in.

Source: Farmscape